Monday, February 10, 2014

Week of February 10 2014: Huge Robot

Dear Beloved People,

I hope everything is going well where you all are. This has been areally great week---I've been able to learn a lot about how much theLord has given me in my life, and how much He truly directs missionarywork, even through imperfect people. It didn't have too much to dowith the weather, which has started going backwards---it was snowingas we came to the place we normally do e-mail at, which I guess I'venever explained in detail before. One of the members of our branch,김형제님 (Brother Kim) owns a 형대 (Hyundai (Hyunday)) service center prettyclose to our house, in between our house and the huge K.T.X (bullettrain) tracks. There's a little customer service area where peoplewait while they're working, with a small high-tech coffee machine,T.V. and chairs, and two computers. We usually sit here and writewhile looking out the window at cars on lifts being worked on, andevery once in a while one of the bullet trains flies past. I like toimagine where all of you are, and hopefully that gives a better ideaof over here.

I guess maybe starting from the end might be good. Yesterday we wentto the church like usual at around 9:00 to help get ready. We set upthe chairs, put the little seat-cushions our branch members like touse on each one, put out the hymnbooks, turned on the huge heater in onecorner that looks like a huge robot, set up the sacramanet table, andthe white-board for Sunday school type things. At around 9:40 or somost of the members started coming---the branch president had to gosomewhere, and couldn't come, and his one counselor, whose familyinvited us to their house for the new year, also has to work a lot ofthe time on Sunday, so the member who owns the car repair shop kind offilled in. At first there were just two families there, about 8 peopletotal, so we just had Sunday school and priesthood and Relief Societymeetings together. It was nice and a little more intimate---we talkedabout the Plan of Salvation and what President Joseph Fielding Smithhad to say about it. It was nice---the youth were able to participatea little more, since their parents were with them, too. There was alsoa nice part from the Teachings manual where he talked very plainlyabout how Christ's coming and suffering and death were ultimately toallow us to possibly return to God's presence---kind of a big-picturereminder of the Plan of Salvation, how it seems to have a lot ofworking parts but is really at its heart very simple and plain. ThenBrother Kim, who's very kind and smart and usually doesn't have a lotof opportunities to talk, taught a lesson about the ark of Noah andthe flood. It was very interesting---a few more of the members came,and after reading the actual story and talking about it togethersimply, he emphasized the importance of thinking about how we canapply it to ourselves today. He talked very thoughtfully about thepeople at the time---how wicked they must have been to necessitatewhat happened, and the faith of Noah in obeying the Lord'scommandments in the face of opposition and without a sure knowledge ofthe future. I guess I haven't really thought about that story in quiteas much detail as some others, but it was really nice to have a gooddiscussion about it all together. Then we had sacrament meeting, wherethere weren't as many people, including the Sister who usually playspiano, so we sang with just the member conducting starting each hymnoff. The talks were nice, focusing on agency and the blessings of ourfamilies. A few of the members and the people we invited weren't ableto come, so it was a smaller and different but still really greattime.

I was definitely able to recognize and see a lot of the blessings thatI had been taking for granted this week, especially in a lot of thepeople we've met recently. Even though it wasn't anything big orimmediate, we were able to meet and talk with most of them. One ofthem I think I mentioned before a little bit ago---we met him tryingto visit someone else who had told us to come back later, and he letus into his apartment right away. He worked before in a factorynearby, but isn't working right now, so we were able to go and visithim on Tuesday afternoon. His name is 이형제님 (Brother Lee (Ee)). Helives alone, and his parents live somewhere else in the town here.While we were eating peanut-flavored snacks, we asked about him andhis interests a bit more. He made lots of jokes---he asked if while wewere walking on the street we ever saw Jesus, and things likethat---but after asking it turns out he's read the Bible and remembersit really well, especially in the New Testament about Christ's life.We talked about how His life and teachings aren't just interestinghistorical information, but truly the central way for us to findhappiness and peace in our lives. He seemed unsure aboutreligion---his parents used to be Buddhist but recently suddenlystarted going to a Christian church, and he said after getting olderit seems harder to believe in things like that, but said we could comeback again to talk more about how Christ's teachings are important inhis life. He was very nice, and maybe a little lonely---but I was sograteful we were able to meet him again and talk about what we did. Wealso got to have a district meeting with the other missionariesnearby, but for the first time in our area here. Because oftransportation issues, the missionaries from one area (called 안동(Ahn-dohng) ended up getting there a little late---but we eventuallyall got there and fit in our church. We ate first---we ordered outfrom a Chinese restaraunt, where they serve noodles with black-beanpaste, and things like that---and then had a nice meeting. After, wedecided to go do a survey activity together to try to find new people.It was a simple survey, just about peoples' first impressions ofmissionaries, and then we gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon withan insert in the front about the questions they have that it cananswer. It actually went really well---we got to talk to a lot ofpeople total together, and found a lot of people we could contactlater about the Book of Mormon and what they thought. It was reallyfun to be able to work together with other missionaries like that,which we haven't been able to do as much of recently. That night we also got to meet someone we had before the big holiday again. His nameis 김형제님 (Brother Kim), and he's originally from an area of China wherea lot of Korean people settled and started a kind of community amongthemselves there. We met and walked to our church building. He talkedabout how he went to see his relatives in Seoul during the new year,and had to come back and work really early the next morning---but justin an informative, not really complaining way. He's really passionate,positive, and likes to talk. We showed him around the building, andthen sat down to talk about what he thinks about religion. We askedwhat kind of things he had experienced where he originally lives withchurches. He said there is Christianity there, just not verywidespread---that a lot of people in that area associate it withbeliefs in healings and miracles and things like that. He seemedcurious about that part---he asked about the nature of healing, andalso about the belief that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born, anda few other kind of miracle-type things. We explained that those kindsof things do exist, but that exercising faith usually has smaller,built-up impacts on our everyday lives. He asked about having belief,and was really very interested, and seems to have thought a lot aboutit before. We talked about how when first try to believe, we have toact order to know if it's true or not. He still seemed to have a lotof questions, and said we could meet to talk more again.

On Friay, we went to visit someone we met briefly on the street along time ago and have been regularly going to his computer repairshop to try to talk to him more, he was just too busy usually to doit. Elder Pickard suggested we go, and even though it was around thesame time we had before when he was gone, we tried. He was there, andwe talked for a while---kind of about a lot of things, but also aboutchurch and the program we introduced to him that our mission has beenstarting, teaching English and the gospel together to families. He wastwo kids who are already studying English at home with a tutor, and weasked what he would think about just trying meeting once---and he wasvery positive. His son also came in, and he asked what he would think,and we got to talk with him for a little while. It was really great.He and his family are faithful members of a Presbyterian church here,and they all seem really great, and have great faith in Christ. Wedecided to meet this coming Wednesdaysday with his family to try it. Itwas a really happy, good day. Then on Saturday, we cleaned our churchbuilding, which hadn't been done for a while, and then had our Englishclass. Amazingly, two people came for the first time---one we'd met awhile ago but had been busy and just hadn't been able to come before,and one we had just met a few days earlier on the street. They seemedto get along with the regular people who have come for a while reallywell. It was really great.

Also on Friday, we were able to meet the older guy we had before at acoffee-shop type place, at his new job as an apartment security guard.It was the first time we were really able to talk with him by himself,and he expressed a lot of hard things he's going through in hislife---how he had to start working to support himself, but he's alsokind of sad and depressed, and his work schedule is prettydemanding---one day on and off, for twenty-four hours. We talked aboutwhat we had before, and what he remembered---aside from that, hetalked about how we're all naturally sinners, and how he knows a lotof the things he had or is doing are bad. We talked about how Christcame to help us to overcome those imperfetions, and gave him apamphlet to read and learn more about while he works when he has time.He said he would come to church this last Sunday, but didn't realizehe had to work that day---so he said he would come next week. Again,it wasn't a huge event, but just a really great experience---it reallyseemed to help him feel a litte better, and he said we could comevisit again.

This week we had a lot of plans that went kind of weird---when wetried to visit the older man at the apartment, he couldn't totallyexplain where he was well, and other things like that. But even when Iwasn't sure what to do, Elder Pickard always offered great ideas andhelped us to start thinking, and we were able to figure it out well. Iknow how much Heavenly Father has blessed me with all of you, a greatfamily, and to be able to serve here with Elder Pickard, a greatcompanion. I'm so grateful for everything, for all the things we'vebeen able to do, and know that even if we're imperfect the Lord willhelp his children to be able to understand the gospel and get the helpthey need from it. I'm so grateful for the scriptures, and that it wework together with "one accord" God will help us be able to serve Hisother children. I hope you're all happy, and know how much I love you,and am grateful for the gospel. I love you---keep it up.